Happy Birthday Phi!
We all hope that your 18th was a day of celebration, joy & cheery good times. We all hope it was untroubled, uncensored & unflustered.
Here’s a couple of photos of your b’day presents. Let me know where to send our goodwill, good wishes, your b’day card, and the package with its ribbon.
Today, like every day, I wish that I could give you a whizzy-dizz, but I’m almost certain I couldn’t lift you, let alone swing you around. Perhaps just a picnic after a hike? Or perhaps we could share a drink at an izakaya…
On a Dad note, it’s naive to lay blame at your Australian cousins, your aunts & uncles, your Nandee & Pa. All they have ever done is love you… They miss you Phi. Regardless of whatever keeps you from reconnecting with me, don’t shut out your Australian identity. Your family patiently awaits.
At the same time, I’m happy to cop your anger, your questions, your grievances. It goes without saying, I probably deserve a good dose of the reality of your past decade.
My own ten years of battling the Family Court of Japan and the High Court of Japan have not had the benefit of rose-tinted glasses. Despite their toothless consequences [sic] to the swelling tide of selfish parents who choose to ignore their suggestions, there has been unexpected rosy retrospection. I honestly feel that I came out the other side a better person. I’m less arrogant, have become a listener and less of a talker, and I now know the difference between empathy & sympathy… I cry with a good book, even in front of my students.
So, if you need someone who will listen, I feel that you need to be heard.
It’s also so important you know that I harbor no ill will toward your mother. She loves you. I get that.
Let me know when you want to talk about university, tuition fees, travel, family, and who you are.
Go with care… I love you…
Dad
*Here’s an article you might be interested in (Washington Post).
opheliaanddad 